Over the past five years, we witnessed a change to the maritime industry: tech start-ups have burst onto the scene. By collaborating with large companies in the port sector, these young entrepreneurs are coming up with innovations that improve efficiency, increase safety and help protect the environment. As the World’s first Port & Maritime Accelerator, PortXL intends to speed up such maritime innovation by making port challenges visible.
Innovation on SPEED
The oceans may remain a mystery to many, but through platforms like Port Innovation Atlas and the SPEED Portal start-ups and scale-ups are offered a window of opportunity to explore business at sea. At its recent digital event SHAKEUP, PortXL hosted a session featuring representatives from Portsmouth International Port and Portland Harbour Authority. Both ports are partners of PortXL in the SPEED consortium, an Interreg 2 Seas project aiming to reap the full business potential of high-tech start-ups and SMEs within the maritime context.
Dock around the clock
Pilot Jerry Clarke from Portsmouth presented a challenge called berth auctioning. The port hopes to reach a high berth utilisation, meaning that it wants to have ships coming and going around the clock. In order to achieve that, Portsmouth launched a call for a solution that could show the availability of the port in real-time. Perhaps a mobile app could indicate the number of berths available, the length of the berth, what type of ships can be used and the depth of water? If you think you can help out Jerry, please make yourself known by reaching out to us via the button at the bottom of the page.
Air quality data
Sandie Wilson is the Environment Manager at Portland Harbour Authority. She expressed a need for a solution that could monitor the air quality in and around the port. Her main wish was to identify the multiple sources of data that are relevant to port activities and air quality. Additionally, she is looking for affordable and user-friendly applications that can help the port perform air quality control. Do you happen to know people who can be of service to Sandie? Please reach out to us via the button at the bottom of the page.
SPEED is hosting its Smart Port Innovation Portal Launch via a webinar on Thursday July 2nd at 11h CEST. Learn more about port challenges such as the ones above and see how smart technologies can fit in. Register here (first sign up to Meetup):
by Sven Goyvaerts – Port XL
Open Thing is an SME in Poole working on the development of a platform.
URL: http://openthing.uk
Linkedin: Open Thing
Researchgate: Open Thing Research